Kanpur (UP), Apr 4 (PTI): The son of jailed kingpin Vinod Agarwal was arrested for his alleged role in the large-scale codeine-based cough syrup trafficking network, officials said on Saturday.

According to police, Shivam Agarwal, a chartered accountant, was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000 and had been absconding for nearly five months.

Kanpur police Commissioner Raghubir Lal said six of the 11 accused named in eight FIRs in the case have been arrested so far, including Shivam. His father, believed to be the mastermind of the "Agarwal brothers" syndicate, is already in jail, he said.

The probe revealed a racket supplying codeine-laced cough syrup across several states and even Bangladesh. What began as a suspected diversion of 26 lakh bottles has expanded to around 1.12 crore bottles over two years, police said.

Investigators have found the use of shell companies and fake billing, including a fictitious firm named "Shriram Medical Agency".

Transactions worth Rs 42 crore have been traced so far, while the total racket is estimated to be around Rs 100 crore. Properties worth about Rs 9 crore have been seized, police added.

They said the special investigation team is verifying documents and supply chains, focusing on large consignments from Himachal Pradesh and Panipat.

Several firms have been booked, while at least five accused remain absconding. Further investigation is underway, police added. PTI COR CDN OZ OZ

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